Because it is frequently desirable to increase the load carrying capacity of a vehicle without increasing the maximum permissable load on each wheel and tire assembly of the vehicle as regulated by state law, auxiliary axle assemblies have been provided. A number of different auxiliary axle assemblies are presently available for the mounting on such vehicles. Usually, these auxiliary axle assemblies have the capability of being lifted from the road when the maximum permissable load for each wheel and tire assembly already provided on the vehicle is not exceeded. These liftable auxiliary axles are usually provided on various kinds of trucks where such trucks travel for a significant portion of the time during their use in an unloaded condition. One type of liftable auxiliary axle assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,133,745; 3,325,181; 3,689,102; 3,713,663; and 3,747,948. A different type of liftable auxiliary axle assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,348. Both of these types of liftable auxiliary axle assemblies suffer from common problems. One of these problems is that it is a relatively complex and time consuming matter to adjust the alignment of the auxiliary axle with respect to the vehicle. Another common problem with these auxiliary axle assemblies is that the springing of the auxiliary axle and also the lifting of the axle is provided by air bag type springs which are subject to failure and also relatively expensive to replace. Another problem associated with such prior art axle assemblies is that the amount the axle can be lifted from the roadway is limited by the vehicle frame.